


take what we can before it ends

by Jules1398



Category: Whatever - S. J. Goslee
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Hate to Love, M/M, Misunderstandings, background cam/dee and meckles/dotty
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-23
Updated: 2019-02-23
Packaged: 2019-11-04 05:00:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,645
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17891957
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jules1398/pseuds/Jules1398
Summary: Mike has hated Rook Wallace since he and Chris Leoni ratted him out for having weed in his dorm room freshman year. Now they're juniors and they have a class together. How the hell is Mike supposed to deal with that?





	take what we can before it ends

**Author's Note:**

> ok chances are nobody is going to read this but i just finished rereading the book the other day and i really wanted to write something for it (the first time i read it i had a mamma mia au idea and a waking up married idea but both of those aus only exist in my head bc idk if i can pull either of them off lmao). i especially wanted to write something because there's not a lot of books with canon bi mcs and as a bi person myself that really means a lot to me!  
> also i physically cannot write a college au without making at least one character an engineering student. it's the projection.  
> [anyway you can find me on tumblr](http://chloevlntine.tumblr.com/)

For someone who was most certainly  _ not  _ sleeping with Mike anymore, Lisa sure spent a lot of time in his bed, occasionally only half-dressed.

“Tell me, Mike said when he returned home after his first day of classes. “Why are you in my bed and why aren’t you wearing any pants?”

Lisa shrugged, not looking up from whatever she was typing on her laptop. “I live in the dorms because studies show that students that live in the dorms do better in their classes. But, that means I have a roommate and you have your own room that’s quiet and doesn’t involve my freshman roommate trying to befriend me. Really, she should try to make friends her own age.”

“You only answered one of my questions,” he pointed out.

“It’s comfortable.”

“How did you even get in?” he asked. “Cam and Meckles aren’t home, so did you break in or something?”

She looked up at him with an annoyed expression. “Michael, you  _ gave  _ me a key. Last year.”

He furrowed his eyebrows. He should have taken back his key in the break-up. Or, the not break-up since apparently he and Lisa had never been anything more than fuckbuddies in the first place.

He held out his hand. “Well, can I have it back then?” he asked. “Since we aren’t sleeping together anymore. It’d be good to have my spare back.”

Lisa shook her head. “How would I get in if I didn’t have a key? It’s your payment for my amazing friendship.”

“Not  _ that _ amazing, apparently,” he mumbled under his breath as he threw down his backpack.

Unfortunately, Lisa had heard him, judging by the  _ click  _ of her laptop shutting followed by her sitting up on his bed and crossing her arms. It was time for another lecture. Fantastic.

“I don’t owe you anything, Michael,” she said firmly.

“I know that,” he replied. “I still just don’t understand why we stopped. It’s not like either of us are seeing anyone or anything.”

“Friends with benefits was fun and all, but we’re juniors now,” Lisa reminded him. “I need to be more future-orientated and my future is going to consist of getting a good job right after graduation and moving towards more serious relationships.”

He breathed in, puffing up his chest just a little. “I can be serious.”

Lisa fucking  _ laughed _ . “No offense, Mike, but I can do a lot better than you.”

“How am I supposed to not take offense to that?”

“You’re an  _ English major _ , Mike,” she reminded him, saying “English major” like it was a slur. “You’re not going to bringing a lot of money to the table and also, you’re nearly 21 years old and you’re still in a shitty stoner band. I’m majoring in political science and I have a 4.0. It’s not meant to be.”

Unable to come up with an argument, he just groaned and flopped back on his bed. Lisa was probably going to be the freaking president someday. She definitely could do better than him.

She ran her fingers through his hair. “You’ll find someone who’s more your level. Maybe a cute philosophy major or something.”

“I hate you,” he told her.

“No, you don’t”

Lisa was, as always, absolutely right, but he really wished that she wasn’t.

* * *

“Don’t look now, but black hair blue eyes over there keeps checking you out,” Cam told Mike while a bunch of them were sitting together in the library.

Mike quickly glanced back at the guy in question, but he was looking down at the textbook in front of him. From his profile, Mike could only notice one thing: the guy was seriously attractive. Like, model attractive. Guys like that didn’t check out guys like him.

“I think it’s more likely that he’s staring at you,” Mike replied, “seeing as you’re sitting on your girlfriend’s lap in a public space.”

“There’s not enough chairs!” he protested.

“And it’s not like they’re being gross or anything,” Jason pointed out.

Meckles let out a quiet noise showing that he certainly didn’t agree, but everything involving his sister and Cam seemed to make him uncomfortable.

Omar squinted as he looked in the guy’s direction for a moment before announcing, “I think I know him, actually.”

“Well, then side with me,” Cam said. “He’s totally checking out Mike, right?”

“I don’t know,” Omar replied.

“It’s because your view is obstructed by Shawn’s massive head,” Deanna said. “Mike, he was totally checking you out.”

“Who’s Shawn?” Jason asked.

Meckles gave him a pointed look.

“Oh, right.”

“He was in my Differential Equations class last fall,” Omar said with finality. “I think he’s some sort of engineer.” He nodded toward Meckles. “You should ask your girlfriend about him.”

Meckles flushed a deep red and stared down at his phone. “I guess I could text her,” he mumbled.

“You’ve been dating for six months, dude,” Jason said. “I don’t think she has any problem with you texting her.”

“Why are you so concerned about this stranger checking me out?” Mike asked, before quickly adding, “If that’s what he was doing.”

“Because he’s hot, bro,” Cam said with a shrug.

“And you need to get laid,” Omar added. “You’ve been weirdly mopey about the whole Lisa thing, which is weird since you didn’t seem to care all that much when you two were actually sleeping together.”

“She wants a picture,” Meckles told them, presumably once his girlfriend had texted him back.

“Then take one,” Jason urged.

Meckles’ eyes widened and he shook his head. “He’ll  _ see  _ me.”

“Jesus Christ,” Deanna said with a roll of her eyes, snatching her brother’s phone out of his hands and taking a quick picture before typing up a message and sending it to Dotty.

“His name is Rook,” she informed them. “Apparently he’s an RA in Lisa’s building, so maybe she knows him. Also, he’s in civil engineering. And he’s gay, so Mike has a chance.”

“I don’t even know him!” he protested.

“Not yet, you don’t,” said Cam, kicking his chair lightly. “Go over there and introduce yourself.”

“That would be weird. I need an excuse,” Mike replied.

“He’s  _ hot _ ,” Cam reminded him. “Isn’t that excuse enough?”

“Ask him where the bathroom is,” Jason suggested.

“We’re literally sitting next to it,” Omar said, nodding toward the sign behind him.

“I’ll figure something out,” Mike grumbled, knowing that there was no way he was going to get out of talking to the guy.

“Hi,” Mike greeted as he walked up to the guy’s table.

Rook looked up at him and realization dawned on Mike. Omar was not the only one who knew this guy. It was his asshat freshman roommate Chris Leoni’s just as terrible friend.

“Wallace,” he scowled.

“It’s nice to see you, Mike,” he said with a smile. “I feel like I haven’t seen you in forever.”

“Why were you staring at us?” he snapped.

Wallace frowned slightly. “I wasn’t staring at you.”

“You were. Tell me why,” he demanded.

He shrugged. “I guess I might have given your friend and his girlfriend a second glance. I mean, he is sitting on her lap.”

“Well, don’t,” Mike said before stomping back to his table angrily.

“How did you mess that basic interaction up so bad?” Cam asked.

“It was  _ Wallace _ ,” he told him.

“Who?” asked Jason, who hadn’t joined the band until last year and that therefore missed out on Mike’s roommate woes.

“His best friend was Mike’s roommate first semester and he snitched on him for having weed so that they could room together instead,” Cam explained. “Really, I don’t know why Mike is still so pissed about it. He got away with a warning  _ and  _ he got his own room second semester.”

“I had to have the most uncomfortable conversation ever with the RC,” he said. “And it wasn’t like they were saints either! They used to drink in the room all the time.”

“Dude, it was freshman year. Get over it,” Cam advised.

The others murmured in agreement.

“Whatever,” Mike said, crossing his arms and leaning back in his chair. “It’s not like I’m ever going to have to deal with that guy again.”

* * *

 

Lisa and Mike shared exactly one class, which was Biology. They were both terrible at it in high school and, while Mike didn’t care that much so long as he passed since it was just a gen-ed, Lisa obsessed over her grades, so she had formed a study group with people in their class and told Mike that he was required to participate. And, of course, he had never been all that good at saying ‘no’ to people, notably people that were Lisa, so he found himself trudging toward the library for an extra hour of talking about cells or whatever.

Only, when he reached the study room where he was told to go, Lisa was sitting next to none other than Rook motherfucking Wallace.

He opened the door and took a seat on the other side of the table, next to Mo Howard, who he hadn’t even realized was in their class. Then again, he hadn’t realized that Wallace was in it either.

“You two can sit closer,” Lisa told them. “Lenny texted me to say that she dropped the class. She’s taking Global Warming Science instead.”

Mike glared at her as he picked up his backpack and moved to the seat next to her. At least he didn’t have to sit right next to Wallace.

Wallace offered him a warm smile like he didn’t remember the fact that he was one of the worst people on the whole entire planet and also that Mike hated him.

“Why are you in this class?” Mike asked him. “If you need this for engineering, shouldn’t you have taken it by now?”

“I needed a science elective and it didn’t seem that bad,” he said with a shrug. “At least the company is nice.”

“Don’t act like you even knew we were in the same class,” Mike replied.

“Of course I knew,” Wallace told him. “I saw you two come in yesterday, but I was already sitting somewhere else.”

“Can we get to work?” Lisa asked. “We have a lot to go over!”

“It’s the first week,” Mo reminded her. “We’ve only had class once so far, and half of it was going over the syllabus.”

“Well, I’ve heard this class is legendarily hard,” Lisa replied. “If we’re going to do well in it, we need to start in on it early. Now,  who knows what a eukaryote is?”

The silence that she was met with did not bode well for any of them. Maybe Lenny was right to drop the class before it even started. 

* * *

Later that night, Cam strongarmed Mike into going grocery shopping with him, which was probably a good idea seeing as half the time Cam went to the store he only came back with Gatorade and Doritos.

Cam stared at the vegetable aisle looking bored. “Do you think we really  _ need  _ vegetables?”

“Are we going to cook with them?” Mike asked.

“Do any of us really know how?”

“Get bell peppers, then,” Mike suggested. “We can eat those raw.”

Cam grabbed a few and bagged them up before tossing them in the cart and pushing it toward the bread section. “So, I heard Mo dropped bio. Are you sure you’re going to be good in that class, man?”

Mike shrugged. “I have Lisa and her terrible study group.”

He stopped the cart and turned toward him with a wince. “Dee told me that Lisa dropped too.”

“Shit,” Mike said, realizing that meant that the only person left in the class with him was Wallace.

“Are you going to drop it now?” Cam asked. “You can still switch classes until Friday.”

“Nah, I think I’ll just stick with it. C’s get degrees, dude,” he said with a shrug. Really, he just didn’t want to talk to his advisor.

“Is there anyone still in the class that you know?” Cam asked, tossing a bag of bagels into the cart.

Mike shuddered. “Not that I like.”

“Who?”

“Wallace.”

Cam smirked. “Maybe it’s a sign. It’s time to give the guy a chance.”

“I will poison your Pop-Tarts,” he threatened.

He raised his eyebrows. “How did you know I was going to get Pop-Tarts?”

“Because you’re my best friend,” Mike reminded him, grabbing a box of Chocolate Fudge and tossing it into the cart.

“Man, I’m gonna miss you when I’m off student teaching who knows where,” Cam said with a sigh.

* * *

Mike was leaning back in his chair near the back of the lecture hall, which was a lot less crowded than it had been during the previous class, fully prepared to nod off for the next hour and fifteen minutes when someone dropped into the seat directly next to him.

He turned to glare at Wallace. “What are you doing here?”

“I’m in this class, remember?” he replied. “I heard Lisa and Mo dropped and I thought you could use some company.”

“Oh, well, in that case, no thanks,” he grumbled, crossing his arms and closing his eyes.

He opened them when something hit his nose and fell to his lap.

“You threw an eraser at me!” he exclaimed.

“If you’re going to pass this class, you need to be awake for it,” Wallace told him. “I’m not trying to sound like Lisa, but I’m pretty sure that’s just common sense.”

“I’m an  _ English major _ ,” he told him. “All I need to do is pass. It’s not like my prospective publishers are going to look at my grades.”

“It’s a hard class. If you don’t pass, you’re going to have to take another science credit,” he reminded him.

“Well, then they shouldn’t have scheduled it for 8 in the morning,” he said resolutely before closing his eyes again.

“What are you going to do when you’re failing and the only one left to turn to is me?” Wallace teased.

Mike opened his eyes again and sat up a bit straighter. “Just don’t talk to me, okay?”

Wallace laughed and Mike hated it almost as much as his stupid smile.

“Okay, class,” the teacher started in the most boring voice in the history of ever. “Who here remembers what we started on Tuesday?”

Not a single person raised their hand.

Yeah, staying awake in this class was going to be really fucking rough.

* * *

As if bio couldn’t get any less enjoyable, Mike walked into his lab on Wednesday only to find that there was only one available seat and it was next to none other than Wallace himself. He cursed himself for not leaving his apartment just a little earlier. 

“Looks like we’re lab partners,” Wallace said cheerily.

“I’m surprised none of those freshman girls that have been staring at you like a piece of fucking meat snatched up this spot,” Mike replied, nodding toward a nearby lab bench where two girls were not-so-discreetly looking over to them about every five seconds.

Wallace shrugged. “I’d much rather sit with you. They’re not exactly my type.”

“And I am?” he asked, giving him a pointed look. Wallace might like guys, but he probably didn’t like  _ Mike _ .

He shrugged again. “Yeah.”

“You-” he started, wishing he could force down the blood that was rushing into his cheeks.

“Did you read the lab before class?” Wallace asked, flipping open the special lab notebook that they had been forced to pay for.

“We were supposed to read it before?”

“It’s fine, we aren’t doing much today,” he told him. “Oh, I’m totally using your writing skills for the report by the way. I can do the math stuff and you can do the writing stuff. It’ll be perfect.”

“Sure,” he said, still a little off kilter from Wallace saying Mike was  _ his type _ .

At least their TA would probably force them to mix up lab groups. One week with Wallace and then the rest of the semester with strangers. He could deal with that.

“Did you still want to do study group tonight?” Wallace asked, even though it would just be the two of them. “Going over the concepts from the past week might actually be helpful.”

“I’m good,” Mike told him. “The semester isn’t kicking my ass yet. Check back with me after the first exam.”

Wallace laughed. “I’ll do that,” he promised.

The TA cleared her throat to get their attention and wrote her name on the board before introducing herself and giving them general info about her office hours and the general expectations for lab before starting in on the subject of that specific lab.

And then she said something that made Mike completely positive that he was fucking cursed or some shit.

“We in the biology department find that students are more successful when they work with the same partner for the semester, so I hope you’re happy with who you’re sitting next to.”

Mike groaned and rested his head in his arms. When he looked up at Wallace, he almost looked hurt, not that Mike truly believed he had feelings or anything.

* * *

It was only the second Friday of the year and they already had a gig. Granted, it wasn’t a cool gig and it certainly wasn’t a paying one, but they still were going to get to play for an audience.

“Are you  _ sure  _ we can’t smoke before this?” Cam asked. “Not even just a little? To lower our nerves or some shit?”

Mike shook his head. “Lisa will cut my balls off.”

“She already has them in her pocket. What would be any different?” asked Jason.

“It’s an event for students in the res halls, we can suck it up and follow the rules for a few hours. No need to give Mike shit when he’s the only reason we get to play in the first place,” Omar, an angel from heaven, said.

“There’s always a need to give Mike shit,” Meckles piped in, which was totally uncool, seeing as he was supposed to be the quiet one.

“Mike!” Lisa chirped when she saw them before hugging him tightly. “I’m so glad you guys could make it. Now, remember, try to stick to songs that are PG. If you screw up, it’s going to make me look bad.”

“Lisa, you’ve heard us play, right?” he asked.

She patted his back. “Just try your best. You’re on in fifteen minutes, so start unpacking.” She pointed toward their ‘stage’ which was really just a spot on the floor where all the lounge furniture was cleared away.

“Roger that,” he replied with a nod and they went to set up.

“She really owns you, dude,” Jason commented.

“Everyone owns Mike,” Cam clarified. “He’s a pushover, but we all love him anyway.”

“Debatable,” Omar said with a smirk.

Mike grasped at his chest, affronted. “Omar! I trusted you!”

They set up and did the quickest sound check ever and then Lisa announced them, well announced Cam mostly, seeing as they didn’t really have a name and he was kind of the face of the whole band.

And then they started playing and it went pretty well, all things considered. Sure, they couldn’t exactly do some of Mike’s favorite songs, but they still had enough to choose from and even if their audience was kind of small and way more sober than their normal fans, Mike still found himself getting lost in the music and playing every night just as if he’d play it for a more typical audience.

When they finished, Mike was sweaty and panting. He knew he kind of looked gross, but it’s not like he cared what any of these freshmen thought of him.

They packed up a bit slower than they had set up. There wasn’t any rush now, as they were the only act of the night. All they had to do now is pack up and eat some of the pizza that Lisa had put aside for them.

As Mike went to go get food, he felt a hand settle on his elbow. Oh, right. Wallace was an RA, of course, he would be hanging around at a res hall event.

“You were really good up there,” he said.

“Yeah?” Mike replied. “I look pretty gross, though.”

“I don’t know,” Wallace said with a shrug. “I think it’s kind of hot. The musician thing really works for you.”

“Thanks, I guess,” Mike muttered, the blush in his cheeks once again betraying the air of nonchalance he preferred to portray.

“Hey,” Wallace started. “Would you-”

“Mike!” Lisa exclaimed as she grabbed him by the elbow. “A few of the girls from community senate wanted to meet all the guys from the band, so you’ve gotta come with me. So far I’ve only gathered up Meckles and he looks like he’s about to have a stroke.”

Sure enough, Meckles was standing across the room by a group of girls, red as a beet and looking as though he was going to piss himself. How he had managed to land a girlfriend, especially one as cool as Dotty, was beyond Mike’s understanding.

Lisa looked between them for a moment. “Oh, was I interrupting something?”

“Absolutely not,” Mike said at the exact same time as Wallace said, “Kind of.”

She stood there, looking unsure for a moment as an awkward silence fell over them.

“I need to rescue Meckles. See you in class on Tuesday,” Mike announced and walked away, trying not to look back at the hurt expression on Wallace’s face.

* * *

“I don’t know why he’s acting like this,” Mike said from Omar’s couch, slightly high. “Like I hate him and I feel like I’ve made that pretty clear and yet he’s still like talking to me and shit.

“You know what it sounds to me?” Omar asked from the kitchen, where he was stirring a bomb looking pot of chili.

“What?”

“He likes you,” Omar told him. “In fact, it’s pretty plain and obvious to see.”

Mike shook his head. “If he liked me, then why would he and Chris snitch on me for the weed. I literally didn’t see him for a year and a half after that.”

Omar shrugged. “Maybe he didn’t like you then, but he definitely likes you now, dude.”

He wrinkled his nose. “Gross.”

“Why?” Omar asked.

“Huh?” What did he mean why? It was  _ Wallace. _

“Why is the thought of Rook Wallace liking you so gross?” Omar asked again. “And don’t say the weed thing. It was over a year and a half ago and, based on your current state, you’ve certainly recovered from it.”

He furrowed his eyebrows as he tried to think of reasons that Wallace was gross, but came up blank.

“He’s just gross,” Mike said decidedly.

“So you find him unattractive?”

“No,” he immediately replied. “He’s annoyingly hot. And his eyes are like really blue and somehow look friendly, which is stupid because he’s evil.”

“What evil thing has he done to you this semester?” Omar questioned. “Because, if I’m recalling everything I’ve witnessed and everything you’ve told me, he’s been nothing but nice to you.”

“He’s plotting,” Mike said plainly. “Something’s coming and I can’t let my guard down.”

Omar shook his head. “Mike, you’re being ridiculous. The guy obviously genuinely likes you despite the fact that you’re making an ass of yourself. Even if you don’t like him back, you could at least give him a chance at your friendship, though I don’t know why on Earth anyone would wish that upon themself.”

Mike grabbed a pillow off the couch and tossed it at Omar’s head. He grabbed it out of the air like a fucking ninja.

“You treasure my friendship,” Mike stated.

Omar rolled his eyes. “Unfortunately.”

* * *

As good as Omar was at giving advice, Mike wasn’t fantastic at following it. He didn’t choose to modify his behavior around Wallace, but he didn’t actively try to push him away much either. They still sat together in class and worked together in lab but there was still a level of distance between them that Mike had firmly put into place.

Until, of course, there wasn't.

It was after lab, just a few weeks into the semester. They were walking together since the bus to the apartments and the dorms were in the same general direction and it would be awkward to walk the same way alone when they were leaving the same place at the exact same time.

“Do you want to go to lunch?” Wallace asked as they were crossing the quad.

“I already ate,” Mike replied. “Lisa has been forcing me to pack my own lunches and eat like a normal human being.”

“Tomorrow, maybe?” he tried. “Or we could do breakfast before class, but I feel like you’re already tired enough as it is in the mornings. I don’t want to rob you of that extra half an hour of sleep.”

Mike raised an eyebrow. “Why do you want to eat with me so bad? Do you want to take notes on how I chew my food or something for future blackmail?”

“What?” Wallace asked, looking at him hopelessly. “Mike, I’m asking you on a date.”

He stopped walking in the middle of the path through the quad, much to the dismay of the people behind him.

“You’re asking me on a date,” he repeated slowly. “But why?”

“Because I like you?” Wallace replied. “I thought that was clear by now.”

“And you thought I’d want to go on a date with you?”

Wallace’s face fell. “Well, I mean I thought it was worth a shot. We’ve been getting closer lately and-”

“Wallace, I don’t  _ like  _ you,” Mike snapped. “We have a class together. That’s it.”

He shook his head. “God, you’re such a dick. I don’t know why I fucking like you.”

“Oh, I’m the dick?” Mike asked.

“You’ve been rude as fuck to me for no reason,” Wallace pointed out. “And at the very least, I thought we were friends by now, but now you’re telling me that you’re barely tolerating me? Do you have any idea how shitty that makes me feel?”

“Well, do you have any idea how shitty I felt when you and Chris ratted me out for having weed in the room so he could move in with you?” Mike asked. “I had to talk to the RC and they almost kicked me out of the dorms. They called my mom!”

Wallace raised his eyebrows. “You think we ratted you out for having weed? Chris moved into my room because my old roommate moved out and there was a vacancy. They probably found your weed in the room checks that they do at semester. It’s not like you hid it very well.”

Mike blinked. “Oh.”

“I’m going to go,” Wallace announced, before storming off toward the dorms.

“Wallace, wait,” Mike called after him. When he didn’t turn around, he tried, “Rook, please.”

He still didn’t turn.

* * *

Wallace wouldn’t talk to him anymore. He sat on the other side of the lecture hall (which meant it had become much harder for Mike to stay awake) and he had managed to talk to the lab TA and convince her to mix things up, which meant Mike was stuck working with some freshman that was even more useless at bio than he was, and that was saying something.

And the worst of it was Mike had to come to discover that he really fucking missed him. He missed Wallace’s stupid blue eyes. He missed his shameless flirting. He missed the way he’d toss his eraser at Mike’s face every time he started drifting off. He missed Wallace bitching about res life drama. He missed his bright smile. He missed everything about him, everything that he had thrown away over nothing because he was too hung up on the past to give the best guy he had ever met a chance.

And to make things worse, they had taken their first bio exam and, to put it in small terms, things had not gone very well for Mike. Like, at all.

“I don’t know what to tell you, dude,” Cam said after Mike had complained about his grade. “I told you to drop that class.”

“It’s not just the class, it’s everything else that’s been going on,” Mike groaned.

“Something’s going on?” Cam asked. “Because, as far as I remember, all you’ve been doing is sitting in your room and moping about something that you won’t let me in on. You know, you could have focused all that energy on studying or, you know,  _ told your best friend. _ ”

“You’re going to say you told me so,” he said.

“I won’t. Cross my heart,” Cam promised.

“It’s about freaking Wallace,” he started.

Cam smirked. “He likes you? Dude, I totally called that.”

Mike crossed his arms. “Bro.”

“Sorry,” he apologized, putting his hands up in mock surrender. “Please continue, my friend. I want to hear all about your romantic woes.”

“He told me he liked me and he asked me out and I guess I kind of flipped on him” Mike explained. “And then it turned out he and Chris Leoni didn’t snitch on me anyway and I’ve been acting like a dick to him for no reason. He hasn’t talked to me since and he actively avoids me in class.”

“And now you realized that you were like totally into him the whole time without really realizing it?” Cam guessed.

“Got it in one,” Mike said weakly as he slumped back onto the couch. “I just don’t know what to do anymore. And now I can’t even focus on bio anymore because it reminds me of him.”

“Dude,” Cam said. “You need to talk to him.”

“How?” he asked.

“Go see him. Somewhere you can talk in private,” Cam advised. “Lisa lives in his building, right? Maybe she can get you in. Also, do some romantic gesture or something. A little love goes a long way, dude.”

“And I should trust you because?” he asked.

“I’m your best friend,” Cam reminded him. “And I’m in a long-term, committed relationship.”

Mike nodded. “Fair point, I guess.”

“Get to work,” Cam told him, ruffling his hair. “I expect to see Rook Wallace’s sexy ass around a lot more from now on.”

“Back off,” he replied, rolling his eyes.

“The heart wants what the heart wants, dude,” Cam said with a laugh before walking toward his own room.

Mike pulled out his phone to text Lisa. He had fucked up enough things this semester, it was time to start fixing them.

* * *

He rapped on Wallace’s door cautiously as he nervously shifted his weight from foot to foot, half hoping that he wouldn’t get an answer because maybe it would be easier just to give up.

The door opened to reveal a fully dressed, but dazed looking Wallace, who had evidently just been napping. He woke up fast when he saw who was at his door.

“Did I wake you?” Mike asked, wincing.

Wallace crossed his arms. “Who let you in? You don’t live in this building, so you can’t be walking around without an escort.”

“Do you really have the power to take down  _ Lisa  _ for a policy violation?” Mike asked. “Like, I know you’re an RA and she’s not, but she’s Lisa.”

“Why are you here?” he asked. “I thought you hated me.”

“Maybe that wasn’t quite the truth,” Mike told him.

“Sure,” Wallace replied before moving to close the door.

“Wait!” Mike exclaimed, throwing his arm out to stop the door from closing. “It’s after the first exam and, I’ll admit, it was rough. I want to study with you again. Like we said.”

“I can point you toward plenty of tutoring resources” Wallace offered. “Or you can find a study group. I think your new lab partner is in one.”

“I don’t want to study with them, Wallace,” Mike replied with a shake of his head. “I want to study with you.”

“So you’re using me for my brain now?” he asked with an amused smile, opening the door a little wider again.

Mike shrugged. “Well, Wallace, it turns out that I happen to really like your brain. And your eyes. And your heart. And your smile. Hell, I think I even like your personality.”

“What changed?”

“I realized that I was being a giant fucking idiot,” he admitted. “Because I’ve been pushing you away for all this time when all I’ve really wanted is to have you closer. And then you were gone and, shit, Wallace, I’ve fucking missed you so much. You’re like the most amazing guy I’ve ever met and I totally get if you don’t want to be with me anymore because you are and always have been a thousand times better than me and I-”

“Shut up,” Wallace said with a grin, placing his hands on Mike’s cheeks and pulling him forward into a deep kiss.

Mike wrapped his arms around Wallace and kissed him with a level of desperation that he had never kissed anyone with before. He had wasted the past few weeks  _ not  _ kissing Wallace and now he didn’t want to miss a moment of it. There was something about them that, against all odds, fit together perfectly. To think that once he thought his thing with his Lisa could be something more was laughable. She had never made him feel like this. Nobody had. Nobody but Wallace.

When they pulled away, they were both panting.

“So, that date?” Wallace asked breathlessly.

“Breakfast tomorrow?” Mike asked, and then winced a little. “And maybe we should make it a study date.”

Wallace laughed. “I’d love that, actually.”

Mike smiled. This thing between him and Wallace was amazing. He only wished he had seen it sooner.


End file.
